Compassion Meditation and ReliefLink App for Suicidal, Low-Income, African Americans

NCT ID: NCT03463980

Last Updated: 2022-03-29

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: TERMINATED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 456 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2010-05-13
• Study Completion Date: 2021-10-22

Brief Summary

The purpose of this study is to conduct a pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) with low-income, suicidal African American women and men that compares the relative effectiveness of compassion meditation (CM) versus a support group (SG) .

Detailed Description

The purpose of this study is to conduct a pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) with low-income, suicidal African American women and men that compares the relative effectiveness of compassion meditation (CM) versus a support group (SG) for (1) reducing psychological distress (suicidal ideation, depressive symptoms, and shame); (2) bolstering interpersonal connectedness; and (3) enhancing self-compassion and mindfulness. It is hypothesized that at post-intervention and follow-up, compared to individuals in the SG, those in the CM intervention will endorse less psychological distress (suicidal ideation, depressive symptoms, and shame), more interpersonal connectedness, and greater levels of self-compassion and mindfulness.

Conditions

Suicidal Ideation

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: PREVENTION
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

Compassion meditation (CM)

The CM participants will attend six weekly sessions (each 120 minute), and will be video and/or audiotaped. Each weekly CM session will entail a 30 minute check-in regarding the participants' levels of suicidal ideation, as well as a discussion of current life stress and weekly meditation practice; a 30 minute didactic session that will describe the meditative technique introduced during the week; and a 30 minute guided meditation session. Participants will be encouraged to meditate at least 30 minutes a day and will be asked to track their daily meditation time and bring in their tracking sheet to each session.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Compassion meditation (CM)

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

CM session: 30 minute check-in regarding the participants' levels of suicidal ideation, as well as a discussion of current life stress and weekly meditation practice; a 30 minute didactic session that will describe the meditative technique introduced during the week; and a 30 minute guided meditation session. Participants are also encouraged to meditate at least 30 minutes a day.

Support group (SG)

SG participants will attend six weekly sessions, 90 minutes in length. It will be unstructured. Participants will use this time to talk about current concerns and to receive support and guidance from other group members and the leaders.

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Support group (SG)

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

SG session: 90 minutes to talk about current concerns and to receive support and guidance from other group members and the leaders.

Interventions

Compassion meditation (CM)

CM session: 30 minute check-in regarding the participants' levels of suicidal ideation, as well as a discussion of current life stress and weekly meditation practice; a 30 minute didactic session that will describe the meditative technique introduced during the week; and a 30 minute guided meditation session. Participants are also encouraged to meditate at least 30 minutes a day.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Support group (SG)

SG session: 90 minutes to talk about current concerns and to receive support and guidance from other group members and the leaders.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• self-identify as African American or Black
• speak English
• present to medical and psychiatric emergency rooms at Grady Health System following a suicide attempt
• moderate level of intent associated with the attempt (SSI >= 8 required)
• Mini Mental State Exam (MMSE) score > 22

Exclusion Criteria

• significant cognitive impairments (MMSE < 22)
• active psychosis (diagnosed based on Psychotic Screen (PS))
• imminently life-threatening medical condition

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 64 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

Emory University

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Nadine Kaslow, PhD

Professor & Chief Psychologist

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Nadine Kaslow, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Emory University

Locations

Grady Health System (non-CRN)

Atlanta, Georgia, United States

Countries

United States

References

Witt KG, Hetrick SE, Rajaram G, Hazell P, Taylor Salisbury TL, Townsend E, Hawton K. Psychosocial interventions for self-harm in adults. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2021 Apr 22;4(4):CD013668. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD013668.pub2.

Reference Type: DERIVED

PMID: 33884617 (View on PubMed)

Witt KG, Hetrick SE, Rajaram G, Hazell P, Taylor Salisbury TL, Townsend E, Hawton K. Interventions for self-harm in children and adolescents. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2021 Mar 7;3(3):CD013667. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD013667.pub2.

Reference Type: DERIVED

PMID: 33677832 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

IRB00038057

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id